


always by your side

by orphan_account



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - Middle School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Body Image, Gen, Gift Work, Racism, Samuel Seabury Being an Asshole, Trans Peggy Schuyler, Xenophobia, biracial schuylers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-25
Updated: 2018-04-25
Packaged: 2019-04-27 22:30:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14435502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Eliza is twelve and insecure, Samuel is an asshole and Eliza's sisters will always be at her side.





	always by your side

**Author's Note:**

> happy birthday to my friend jordan, who requested this fic!

Eliza is in sixth grade, and all her classmates don't have flat chests. It makes her a little insecure, how her chest isn't small or big, just isn't there. Angelica assures her that she's just a late bloomer, that it's nothing to worry about. She's a year above her, still in middle school, while their sister Peggy is in fifth grade.

There's a boy in her History class, Samuel Seabury. She guesses he's cute— he's white, unlike her mixed black and Chinese self, and he's got short reddish brown hair and a small nose. She wouldn't consider him her _crush_ , but he's nice to look at. He's annoying and his voice is high-pitched and he always gets in fights with her other classmate, Alexander Hamilton.

Alex is an immigrant and Samuel always makes fun of him for it. When she tells this to her mom, a Chinese immigrant, she gives her a tight-lipped smile. "His parents probably taught him that, Elizabeth," she says, accent still there even after years and years of being in America. "Taught him to be uncomfortable around immigrants. Now come, dinner's almost ready."

Eliza nods and drops the subject. Her mom doesn't talk much about how her childhood and her young adulthood was in China. Angelica has tried to get answers, but their mom doesn't ever say much. Eliza wonders why, but never says anything about it.

Samuel smiles to her a lot during class, even whistles at her in between classes. She's never gotten much attention, her body underdeveloped and her face still like a child's. She's gonna be twelve soon, she should look more like a teenager by now. But her body says to wait, so she waits.

During History, the seat at her side is empty. The classmate that usually uses it, a girl called Maria Cosway, is absent. Samuel immediately takes her place, and during the class he puts his hand on Eliza's. She blushes and pulls away, Samuel immediately looking bummed— before she realizes, she grabs his hand.

"Eliza Schuyler, right?" Samuel asks.

"Yeah." She's used to people not remembering her name; she's shadowed by Angelica's straight A grades and fiery attitude. As they're in the same middle school, Angelica's bound to be the Schuyler they remember the name of. "Samuel Seabury?"

"Yeah!" he exclaims. "I didn't think you'd remember my name. We've barely talked before."

The only reason she remembers it is because Alex has yelled it many times. She has it written on a paper in her backpack, just in case he gets nastier to Alex and she wants to tell the principal. Her classmates would call her a snitch, but being a second generation immigrant from her mom's side, Samuel yelling 'go back to where you came from!' _stings_.

Eliza shrugs.

"You're very pretty," Samuel continues, as if not having noticed the tension in her shoulders. She continues writing down what the teacher put on the whiteboard, trying to not pay mind to Samuel's words. "You're... not American, are you?"

"My mom's a Chinese immigrant, if that's what you're asking," she says quietly. "And my dad's black."

"Exotic," Samuel replies.

Eliza pulls a face, and Samuel drops it.

After a few awkward minutes of silence, Samuel asks something. His voice is quiet, probably so the teacher doesn't catch him. "What's your bra size?"

Eliza feels the cold rush through her spine. She sucks in a breath and looks at her notes, her mind blanking. She hasn't ever worn a bra— she doesn't even know how they're measured. "... medium?" she tries. Judging by Samuel's face scrunching up and then him letting out airy laughs, that wasn't the right answer.

When the class ends, she hears Samuel laugh about it with his friends, two guys she hasn't seen before. He calls her a word that stings, a slur that her mom has been called one too many times. She fixes her backpack and runs to the other classroom, her head spinning.

She zones out during most of Math, which is her last class of the day, luckily. She answers the questions in the textbook, and she closes it as soon as the bell rings. Angelica is waiting there in the parking lot of the school, Peggy close to her. She's flat and short and her curls fall to her shoulders.

"Hey," Eliza says, voice flat just like her chest. She hates that she couldn't give an answer to that— why couldn't have she said an actual measure. Samuel wouldn't have laughed at her then. Why won't her body hurry up?

"Something wrong?" Angelica asks, cocking her head as their mom parks and they head towards her car.

"It's stupid," Eliza supplies, letting out a long sigh. She gets on the car and Angelica and Peggy follow. She greets their mom in Mandarin and she turns, driving home.

Angelica squeezes her hand. "I bet it's not, Lizzie."

"A kid in History class asked me for my bra size and when I didn't know how to answer he laughed at me and then called me a chink," she says, taking a big gulp of air afterwards.

" _Who called you a chink_?" her mom says in Mandarin, raising her voice just enough for them to know she's angry. Eliza has heard people call her the same thing multiple times.

" _A classmate, mama_ ," she replies. " _It's not that big of a deal_."

"That's awful, Lizzie," Angelica tells her, a hand on her hair. "It's not stupid at all to be upset by that."

Eliza shrugs. Their mom parks her car, still fuming slightly, but she doesn't say anything about the incident as they eat dinner. Afterwards, she sits at the edge of her bed shirtless. Other girls her age would be told to put her top back on, but she's flat enough that if she was in public no one would bother her.

She bites her lip, and then someone knocks on the door. A sigh leaves her lips and she says, " _Mama, can you not come in?_ "

"Liza, you know I don't know that much Mandarin!" replies Peggy's high voice, and Eliza smiles.

"Come in, then."

Peggy is shirtless too. Her body is still hairless, no chest or even budding nipples to speak of. The alternative would be a boy's puberty, and Peggy wants anything but that. Eliza knows she can wait until she can start hormones.

"I guessed you felt bad about not having boobs," Peggy says, and then points at her bare chest. "I'm a girl too, and I don't have any! Not even the darker thing!"

"Nipples, Pegs," Eliza tells her, shaking her head. "But that's because you're on puberty blockers. I'm supposed to have boobs by now."

"Mom was a late bloomer too, y'know?" Angelica says as she walks into Eliza's room. She's still with her t-shirt on, bra straps visible.

"But you aren't," Eliza points out.

"And? It varies," Angelica tries. "Listen, Lizzie, in a few years you'll have boobs. It doesn't matter what a racist dumbass said about that."

Eliza sucks in a breath. "Okay. I'm sorry I'm being stupid."

"Don't worry about it!" Peggy exclaims, hugging her tight. It's comforting, and Eliza lets herself smile as she's embraced. Angelica runs a hand through Eliza's hair, grinning.

"I love you two," Eliza says.

"I love you too!" Peggy chirps, kissing her cheek. "Not having boobs doesn't make you any less of a girl, okay? I'd know that!"

Eliza laughs at that, high and airy, and runs a hand through Peggy’s hair. Ever since the girl had come out she hadn't been the happiest, but she's been managing in middle school.

"You're right, Pegs," Angelica says. "Have any of your classmates said anything?"

"I don't think they know," Peggy says, shrugging. "Mom emailed all my teachers about using the correct name before school started."

"That's nice," Eliza nods, kissing Peggy's forehead.

Peggy sits next to her and they huddle closer to each other, Angelica smiling at them. Eliza loves her sisters a lot, even if they fight sometimes; they're closer than Eliza will ever be to anyone else.

"You should tell the school board about your classmate."

"He always makes fun of Alex for being an immigrant," she says instead of agreeing.

"Even more reason to."

"Why not the principal?"

Angelica rolls her eyes. "He's white. He wouldn't give a shit."

"Angie!" she exclaims at the use of the word shit. Angelica laughs and scratches the back of her neck. "Well, yeah, you're right. If he says anything else I'll be sure to tell them."

"Good."

* * *

It only takes a week for something else to happen with Samuel. They're outside of the school, and she has her phone on her hand, recording. Samuel is taunting Alex about his grades and about how he saw him go to the counselor.

Alex throws a punch after a few seconds of doubt, and Samuel falls to the ground and yells insults before he drops the bomb. "Come back to where you came from, damn spic!" he yells, and the small circle forming around them gasps in shock.

Alex turns around and is about to go inside the building when Eliza puts a hand on his shoulder. "What do you want?" he says, scowling, before he notices it's Eliza and not any of Samuel's friends. His expression goes neutral.

"He's been doing stuff like this ever since the school year started, yeah?" she asks, ending the video and shoving her phone in her pocket.

Alex nods. "Mhm."

"Well, he called me a chink last week," she says, "I think I've had enough. We should tell the school board."

Alex's eyes light up. "We should!" he exclaims.

They go inside the building, looking for the school board. It's a bunch of teenagers and a few adults, all taking care of the situations at school more than the principal does.

"Uh... hi," Eliza says as she walks into the room.

"Hi! What grade are you in?" asks a man she recognizes as George Washington. His thinning hair and monolids are a tell-all that it's him.

"Sixth," Alex and Eliza reply at the same time.

"Something wrong with your classmates?" asks a guy Eliza doesn't recognize. He must be a sophomore or a junior. She squints and sees his name tag reads 'Francis Kinloch'.

"Well, he's in our History class," Alex starts. "His name is Samuel Seabury. He's, uh, been really... awful to me and Eliza. Called me a spic just now, and has been making fun of me for being an immigrant since the start of the school year."

"He called me a chink last week," Eliza supplies, "even called me exotic when i mentioned I'm mixed Chinese and Black."

Washington pulls a face. "Okay. We'll talk with him, with the principal, and if it's true— I'm not doubting your word— we'll suspend him. And have a talk with his parents, naturally."

Kinloch nods. "Yeah, this is learned behavior. No kid is born being racist and xenophobic."

"Yeah. Thank you," Eliza says. "I actually... have a video of Samuel calling Alex... that."

"Did you record me giving him a punch?" Alex hisses. "I'll get suspended too!"

Eliza shrugs, takes her phone out of her pocket and shows it to the school board. Kinloch lets out a hiss of anger when Samuel yells after being punched.

"Okay," Washington says heavily, brows furrowed. "We'll talk about the punching classmates thing soon." Alex pales, but nods. "Thank you, kids. What are your names?"

"Eliza Schuyler."

"Alexander Hamilton."

"Okay," Kinloch nods. "See you around."

They leave the classroom, and Alex clasps his hand on Eliza's. Eliza expects a comment like Samuel's, something rude but also affectionate. What she gets, instead, is a warm smile.

"So, I'd..." Alex frowns, unsure what to say. "I'd like to know you better! You're very pretty and, well, we just went through that."

Eliza blushes crimson. "Thank you..." she says shyly. "Um... you'd like to sit next to me during Science?"

"Of course!" he exclaims, hugging her tight. His smile is blinding and he seems a little flustered too, pink over his cheeks. "We're gonna be friends!"

"Of course," Eliza nods, smiling. "You really think I'm pretty?"

"I do!" he says, grinning at her. "You're very pretty! You have nice eyes and nice hair and a cute smile." Eliza lets herself smile wider, showing her teeth; she's been self-conscious of them ever since she started wearing braces.

"But I don't have boobs," she points out weakly.

Alex gives her a confused look. "And?"

During dinner, Eliza talks about the boy she helped and who thinks she's pretty. Angelica teases her about her obvious crush and Peggy laughs airily, wiggling on her seat.

Eliza couldn't ask for a better family. 


End file.
